Warriors and Wusses

By JOEL STEIN January 24, 2006I don't support our troops. This is a particularly difficult opinion to have, especially if you are the kind of person who likes to put bumper stickers on his car.

Supporting the troops is a position that even Calvin is unwilling to urinate on.

I'm sure I'd like the troops. They seem gutsy, young and up for anything. If you're wandering into a recruiter's office and signing up for eight years of unknown danger, I want to hang with you in Vegas.

And I've got no problem with other people -- the ones who were for the Iraq war -- supporting the troops. If you think invading Iraq was a good idea, then by all means, support away. Load up on those patriotic magnets and bracelets and other trinkets the Chinese are making money off of.

But I'm not for the war. And being against the war and saying you support the troops is one of the wussiest positions the pacifists have ever taken -- and they're wussy by definition. It's as if the one lesson they took away from Vietnam wasn't to avoid foreign conflicts with no pressing national interest but to remember to throw a parade afterward.

Blindly lending support to our soldiers, I fear, will keep them overseas longer by giving soft acquiescence to the hawks who sent them there -- and who might one day want to send them somewhere else. Trust me, a guy who thought 50.7% was a mandate isn't going to pick up on the subtleties of a parade for just service in an unjust war. He's going to be looking for funnel cake.

Besides, those little yellow ribbons aren't really for the troops. They need body armor, shorter stays and a USO show by the cast of "Laguna Beach."

The real purpose of those ribbons is to ease some of the guilt we feel for voting to send them to war and then making absolutely no sacrifices other than enduring two Wolf Blitzer shows a day. Though there should be a ribbon for that.

I understand the guilt. We know we're sending recruits to do our dirty work, and we want to seem grateful.

After we've decided that we made a mistake, we don't want to blame the soldiers who were ordered to fight. Or even our representatives, who were deceived by false intelligence. And certainly not ourselves, who failed to object to a war we barely understood.

But blaming the president is a little too easy. The truth is that people who pull triggers are ultimately responsible, whether they're following orders or not. An army of people making individual moral choices may be inefficient, but an army of people ignoring their morality is horrifying. An army of people ignoring their morality, by the way, is also Jack Abramoff's pet name for the House of Representatives.

I do sympathize with people who joined up to protect our country, especially after 9/11, and were tricked into fighting in Iraq. I get mad when I'm tricked into clicking on a pop-up ad, so I can only imagine how they feel.

But when you volunteer for the U.S. military, you pretty much know you're not going to be fending off invasions from Mexico and Canada. So you're willingly signing up to be a fighting tool of American imperialism, for better or worse. Sometimes you get lucky and get to fight ethnic genocide in Kosovo, but other times it's Vietnam.

And sometimes, for reasons I don't understand, you get to just hang out in Germany.

I know this is all easy to say for a guy who grew up with money, did well in school and hasn't so much as served on jury duty for his country. But it's really not that easy to say because anyone remotely affiliated with the military could easily beat me up, and I'm listed in the phone book.

I'm not advocating that we spit on returning veterans like they did after the Vietnam War, but we shouldn't be celebrating people for doing something we don't think was a good idea. All I'm asking is that we give our returning soldiers what they need: hospitals, pensions, mental health and a safe, immediate return. But, please, no parades.

[quote author=Clamtard link=topic=1216.msg15501#msg15501 date=1206118230]Warriors and [b]wusses[/b][/quote]Interesting term coming from the likes of you, don't you think?At least Stein had the courage to note that he was listed in the phone book.How do some of the patriots and veterans on here go about locating [b]you[/b]?

[quote]When the war in Vietnam washed up the first wave of veterans in need of shelter -- the Department of Veteran Affairs had no homeless programs at all. While today, they offer services in every state. Still, as many as 275,000 veterans will likely sleep out in the cold tonight.

........................................

"Most of the veterans that we're seeing have a mental health and a substance abuse problem," said Peter Dougherty of the Department of Veterans Affairs. "Those problems are the underlying factors."

Herold was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Unemployed, married with three kids, he couldn't get a job.

"The physical war is over. The mental war has just begun," he said. [/quote]

"Rah! Support the troops! Send them some cookies and toothpaste! Put up a yellow ribbon! Rah! What? You need hundreds of thousands of dollars in health care for your missing leg and traumatic brain injury? Oh...um...yeah...here's a ream of paperwork for ya. We'll get back to you."

[quote]When the war in Vietnam washed up the first wave of veterans in need of shelter -- the Department of Veteran Affairs had no homeless programs at all. While today, they offer services in every state. Still, as many as 275,000 veterans will likely sleep out in the cold tonight.

........................................

"Most of the veterans that we're seeing have a mental health and a substance abuse problem," said Peter Dougherty of the Department of Veterans Affairs. "Those problems are the underlying factors."

Herold was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Unemployed, married with three kids, he couldn't get a job.

"The physical war is over. The mental war has just begun," he said. [/quote]

Some support. :'(

[/quote]

Better yet, why don't you try and find out how his is [i]today[/i] versus 3 years ago?

Because his story is only one of thousands. This was just one example. I see them here all the time. The VFW and American Legion do what they can, but the problem is that the military itself is dragging its collective [filtered word] when it comes to providing support.

As the war drags on, it has gotten worse because of all the head traumas and PTSD. Those troops are not getting what they need.

[quote author=DivaWrangler link=topic=1216.msg15636#msg15636 date=1206123721]Because his story is only one of thousands. This was just one example. I see them here all the time. The VFW and American Legion do what they can, but the problem is that the military itself is dragging its collective [filtered word] when it comes to providing support.

As the war drags on, it has gotten worse because of all the head traumas and PTSD. Those troops are not getting what they need.[/quote]

Ya know, my nephew returned from Iraq in the fall. He is scheduled to go back to Afghanistan in June. He's a good guy. Quiet. Took time out from college to do what he could after 9/11. Being a simple man, he joined the military to fight terrorism. He has hopes of coming back when its all over and finishing his schooling and getting his degree in medical science. We have been lucky as a family in sending off loved ones to war, beginning in WWl, they've all returned safely, although carrying scars, mentally and physically. I normally send things to my family members that some post on here - because I find it funny, interesting or really important. This is one thread I wont send. >:( I think its a low life scumbag who demeans the troops in any way shape or form. I think anyone that downgrades what a veteran has done is devoid of any compassion or loyalty - perhaps even cowardly, as they sit behind a keyboard and spew their vile words againest a veteran. Its amazing how they forget that it is BECAUSE of troops and/or veterans that they even have the right to say what they want. Hate the war, Hate the commander in chief - but have due respect for those that stepped up to the call.

[quote author=MsPeggy1 link=topic=1216.msg16696#msg16696 date=1206272747]I think its a low life scumbag who demeans the troops in any way shape or form. I think anyone that downgrades what a veteran has done is devoid of any compassion or loyalty - perhaps even cowardly, as they sit behind a keyboard and spew their vile words againest a veteran. Its amazing how they forget that it is BECAUSE of troops and/or veterans that they even have the right to say what they want. Hate the war, Hate the commander in chief - but have due respect for those that stepped up to the call.[/quote]Nice sentiments, but I'm afraid it is wasted on this crowd. Regards and thanks to your nephew for his honorable service.

luvs my nephew has been 3 or 4 times now. He's in the Air Force. He was in the Reserves and then decided to enlist full time so he could go to college. He wants to be a nurse anesthetist. I pray he makes it. He's a great guy with a great sense of humor. Kinda reminds me of someone I know....